Before She Grows Boobs!

I did it!! Today, I registered to walk 60km over 3 days in August to raise money for breast cancer research. I have been thinking about doing this walk for several years, but was always put off by the seemingly HUGE task of trying to raise at least $2000 in donations.
This year, I'm pretty sure with the help of my blog and twitter that I can do it! I'm open to ideas as well.
My first idea is to ask for donations of items I can promote and sell via 'auction style' bidding here on the blog. I will post up one item per week and take bids all week. Bids can be made by leaving a comment under the posting of the item you are interested in. The item will be sold to the highest bidder and all funds will be collected directly via my personal online donation page at the Weekend to End Breast Cancer website. That way, I don't have to handle the funds at all and bidders can feel comfortable in knowing the funds are going directly to the cause! The items will be sent out directly by the person donating them- just like during a normal blog giveaway.

Please let me know if you'd like to help by donating a product. I will promote you and your shop and will require bidders to visit your shop to choose their favorite items when they are bidding.

If you'd like to make a direct money donation to help me, you can donate directly here. The first 5 people to donate will get a free Juicybags coin purse! Leave me a comment on this post after you've made your donation and I'll connect with you for a shipping address:-)

I'll be walking in honor of my aunt, Sharon who died much too young from breast cancer. She wasn't there to attend her daughters' weddings, or to meet the 4 grandchildren they have had since she died. She didn't get to meet my wonderful husband or to come to my wedding either.
I also walk in honor of my father, Frank who died of cancer a few months before my aunt and has been gone for 10 years now. He missed so much too.

I miss them both very much and I hope by walking in this event, the money I raise can help to prevent other people from missing out on great times with their friends and family.
Let's find a cure for breast cancer SOON!

Winner Chosen for Juicybags Giveaway

I recently donated one of my totes for a giveaway on Keeper Of The Cheerios blog. The winner was chosen: (drum roll please)

Kelly from Circular Logic -- an Orange and Strawberry Kiwi Totebag is coming your way!

Congratulations:-)

Vinyl Wall Decals = Fun!

I just finished putting up some really fun wall decals that I bought on Etsy from a shop called Love Letters. They look great and I think they add a sense of humor to my laundry room and the kids' downstairs bathroom.
















I was thinking of asking the shop owner if she would like to do a giveaway contest. I'm really pleased with the product and she was wonderful with creating these custom decals for me to my specifications.

If you know teenagers, you know that you sometimes wish you could charge for showers and supplies!


The bathroom is quite small, so it was hard to get a good photo of this one, but you get the idea:-)












Update: Yeay! Rebekah from Love Letters has agreed to do a giveaway on my blog on Monday, so come back then to enter!

Juicybags Camera Cases

I recently did a custom order for an Etsy customer. One of the things she was looking for was a small case for her pocket camera, to prevent it getting scratched up in her purse. Most regular camera cases are padded and quite bulky and not practical for tucking inside a purse. I created these little Juicybags camera pouches for her.
The sides are made from strips of recycled denim, just like my larger totebags. I may tweak the design a bit, perhaps using a narrower bias tape for the edges, and make some more for my Etsy Shop.
What do you think?

Winner of My First Giveaway!

I chose the winner for my first weekly giveaway by using an online random integer generator. The winner of the set of prints from John W. Golden is:

Erin from Dinner Time Chimes
Congratulations Erin!

Thanks everyone for entering!
Please enter this week's giveaway contest for a really adorable Sweetheart Pendant from Everythingsblue

Wordless Wednesday- My guys

One of my favorite pictures from 2001 of Jon and Devon.
Love my guys...

Swiss Breakfast Muesli

We had swiss style muesli like this when we were on a cruise with Holland America Lines in 2005 for our honeymoon. It was so yummy, but I'm sure their recipe was loaded with high fat ingredients. After we got home, I googled it to see if I could find a recipe. I found this healthy version and I try to make it as often as I can. It's low-fat and full of those 'super foods' like oats, almonds, yogurt, apples and honey. Try it and let me know what you think. It's the only breakfast that keeps me going well into the afternoon without getting hungry, and it's really tasty too.
Wish I could get my teenage son to eat this, but he'd rather have Cap'n Crunch...bleah:-(

2 cups large flake oats (not quick oats)
1 cup low-fat milk (I use 1% because that's what we drink)
1 Tbsp. honey
1 cored and grated apple (I leave the peel on)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
low-fat vanilla yogurt (or any flavour you like)

Mix oats, honey and milk together. Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, transfer it to a larger bowl and add almonds and grated apple. Mix well. If you're eating it all right away, mix in enough yogurt to make the consistency you like, divide it up into bowls and serve.
This makes 4 large servings, so we like to add the yogurt to each serving just before we eat it and store the rest in the fridge till the next day.
Fresh fruit is great on this too, cut up grapes or berries....yummmy!

Enjoy:-)